Mamma
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2005
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Oh Boy!!!
A former senior Ryanair employee has raised more than US$100 million (€84 million) for a low-cost domestic airline in the US. Dubliner Charlie Clifton was Ryanair’s director of ground and in-flight operations when he resigned in December 2002 after 16 years with the airline. Clifton is helping to set up Skybus, an airline based in Columbus, Ohio. In a recent fund-raising exercise, Skybus raised $20 million more than the airline needed to start operations. The bulk of the finance was sourced from financial institutions, some of whom also hold shares in Ryanair. Clifton refused to comment on the fundraising. Skybus expects to start flying later this year, running between five and ten domestic US routes, with a fleet of nine planes. The Skybus schedule is expected to combine short and long-haul flights to get the best value from its aircraft. The airline is expected to start operations with several bases, including Cleveland and Cincinnati. It will use self-service check-in, and will only accept online bookings. Like Ryanair, the airline will sell drinks and snacks on board and fly to secondary airports. The US airline is planning to make a profit in its first year of operation. Clifton has previously said the airline’s cost base will be 35 per cent lower than that of Ryanair.
A former senior Ryanair employee has raised more than US$100 million (€84 million) for a low-cost domestic airline in the US. Dubliner Charlie Clifton was Ryanair’s director of ground and in-flight operations when he resigned in December 2002 after 16 years with the airline. Clifton is helping to set up Skybus, an airline based in Columbus, Ohio. In a recent fund-raising exercise, Skybus raised $20 million more than the airline needed to start operations. The bulk of the finance was sourced from financial institutions, some of whom also hold shares in Ryanair. Clifton refused to comment on the fundraising. Skybus expects to start flying later this year, running between five and ten domestic US routes, with a fleet of nine planes. The Skybus schedule is expected to combine short and long-haul flights to get the best value from its aircraft. The airline is expected to start operations with several bases, including Cleveland and Cincinnati. It will use self-service check-in, and will only accept online bookings. Like Ryanair, the airline will sell drinks and snacks on board and fly to secondary airports. The US airline is planning to make a profit in its first year of operation. Clifton has previously said the airline’s cost base will be 35 per cent lower than that of Ryanair.
